Pedro Almodóvar’s exciting melodrama “The Room Next Door” is riding high after winning the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival , and Sony Pictures Classics is preparing for an aggressive awards campaign for the film. Variety has learned exclusively that the movie’s two Oscar-winning stars, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, will be positioned for lead actress consideration in the upcoming awards season. In addition, co-star John Turturro is set to campaign for his first Oscar bid in the best supporting actor category.
The film is adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s novel “What Are You Going Through” and tells the story of two women — war correspondent Martha, played by Swinton, and author Ingrid, portrayed by Moore — who reunite after many years under emotionally charged circumstances. The nuanced performances and intimate narrative have garnered critical acclaim. Variety’s chief film critic, Owen Gleiberman, writes : “‘The Room Next Door,’ as driven by the scalding humanity of Swinton’s performance, lifts you up and delivers a catharsis.”
Moore is an Academy favorite, winning best actress for the heartbreaking 2014 Alzheimer’s drama “Still Alice” (2014), which was another Sony Pictures Classics project. She’s picked up four other career noms for “Boogie Nights” (1997), “The End of the Affair” (1999), “The Hours” (2002) and “Far From Heaven” (2002). Swinton, who claimed the best supporting actress Oscar for “Michael Clayton” (2007), has not returned to the nominees circle since, despite acclaimed performances in films such as “We Need to Talk About Kevin” (2011).
In recent years, it has become rare for two high-profile stars from the same film to compete in the same lead category due to what’s informally known as “category fraud” — when a performer campaigns in a supporting category despite many perceiving it as a leading role. Some notable examples include Brad Pitt’s win in the supporting actor category for “Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood” (2019), where his co-star Leonardo DiCaprio competed solely in lead, and Rooney Mara’s supporting nod for the romantic drama “Carol” (2015), despite having more screentime than lead actress nominee Cate Blanchett.
Although the screen time for Moore and Swinton in “The Room Next Door” has yet to be officially tallied, early reactions suggest that both actresses share a fairly even distribution of the narrative without one overshadowing the other. Their decision to campaign in the same category is a refreshing embrace of artistic integrity over strategic positioning, which could set them apart in a competitive awards season.
However, history shows that securing two best actress nominations from the same film is rare. Only five films have ever achieved this: “All About Eve” (1950) with Anne Baxter and Bette Davis, “Suddenly, Last Summer” (1959) with Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor, “The Turning Point” (1977) with Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine, “Terms of Endearment” (1983) with Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger, and “Thelma & Louise” (1991) with Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon. Of these, only MacLaine won for “Terms of Endearment.”
Could Moore and Swinton break the 33-year drought and both receive lead actress nominations?
It’s certainly within the realm of possibility, but the success of this strategy will require a near-flawless campaign. The best actress race for this season is already shaping up to be intensely competitive, with a mix of breakout performances and industry veterans. Potential contenders include Karla Sofía Gascón (“Emilia Pérez”), Angelina Jolie (“Maria”), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths”), Nicole Kidman (“Babygirl”), Mikey Madison (“Anora”) and Demi Moore (“The Substance”). Additionally, Sony Classics will need to balance its resources, as the studio is also backing other films with strong female performances, including Saoirse Ronan in the Sundance breakout recovery drama “The Outrun” and Fernanda Torres in the critically acclaimed Brazilian political thriller “I’m Still Here.”
Produced by Esther García and Agustín Almodóvar, “The Room Next Door” will be in contention for several categories, including best picture. If successful, it would mark the first time a Pedro Almodóvar film has been nominated for the Academy’s top prize. Almodóvar previously won the Oscar for best original screenplay for “Talk to Her” (2002) and best international feature for “All About My Mother” (1999), but, somehow, the best picture mention has eluded him so far. That could all change this year.
With “The Room Next Door,” Almodóvar could make history, and with two powerhouse performances from Moore and Swinton leading the charge, its Oscar prospects already look promising.
“The Room Next Door” will be released theatrically in New York and L.A. on Dec. 20, followed by a limited release in the U.S. on Christmas Day and a wide U.S. expansion in January 2025.
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